What To Know When Choosing A Topical Pain Reliever

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Opting for a product that provides topic muscle pain relief offers the benefits of avoiding the side effects that are commonly found with prescription and over the counter oral pain relievers. In addition, topical pain relievers tend to provide relief quickly, something that is very important when the level of discomfort is high. When considering a specific topical product, it pays to ask a few questions before you make a purchase.

What’s In the Product?

Many products designed for topical muscle pain relief will contain at least one of three basic ingredients. Menthol can help provide a cooling sensation that helps to calm nerve endings and make it easier for tight muscles to relax. Camphor oil tends to absorb into the skin quicker than other products, and provides makes it easier for muscles to relax. Capsaicin is the active ingredient found in cayenne pepper and provides a sense of heat that can often produce a very pleasant effect. Capsaicin works by helping to reduce the effectiveness of what is known as Substance P and decreases eases the pain experienced by nerve endings.

When searching for a topical pain reliever, it pays to consider products that use at least once of these ingredients as the main catalyst for reducing discomfort.

The Amount of Active Ingredients

It’s not enough to know what is in the product you buy. You also want to know how much of the active ingredients account for the formula. That will go a long way in determining how much relief you can expect to receive. For example, if the product does contain capsaicin but the amount is somewhat low, it may not be strong enough to do much for the arthritis in your hands or feet. A better bet would be to turn your attention to a topical muscle pain relief product that contains larger amounts of capsaicin and lists it as the main active ingredient.

The Final Test

Try a product that seems like a good fit and see what happens. If the level of relief you achieve is satisfactory, then you know that it’s the right thing for you. Should the effect be less than desirable, don’t hesitate to go back and try something different. By process of elimination, you’ll eventually find the topical muscle pain relief product that has the right balance of ingredients and allows you to get back to enjoying your usual activities.